nuclear power - Bloomsburg? (Berwick, Columbia: school district, living, storage)

[88keys]

Help! We finally thought we had found a community which would be a good fit for our family, and then I read on a post from another website that it is right next to a nuclear power facility. The author advised readers to avoid the Bloomsburg area because of it. I can't find exactly where the reactors are located, so I'm hoping that some of the locals can help me out. How far are the nuclear reactors from Bloomsburg? I've done a little research on nuclear reactors and childhood cancer rates, and it looks like the rates are definitely increased for children living within 5 km of the plant. If that is the case, I don't think I would mind living 20 km from the plant, but if Bloomsburg is too close (especially the Central Columbia school district), we may have to rethink our choice. Any info is appreciated!

[blip]

The nuclear plant is outside Berwick-- looks like about 15 miles east of Bloomsburg.

berwick, pa - Google Maps

At least Bloomsburg is upwind from the plant.

[BLUEDIAMOND64]

Originally Posted by 88keys

Help! We finally thought we had found a community which would be a good fit for our family, and then I read on a post from another website that it is right next to a nuclear power facility. The author advised readers to avoid the Bloomsburg area because of it. I can't find exactly where the reactors are located, so I'm hoping that some of the locals can help me out. How far are the nuclear reactors from Bloomsburg? I've done a little research on nuclear reactors and childhood cancer rates, and it looks like the rates are definitely increased for children living within 5 km of the plant. If that is the case, I don't think I would mind living 20 km from the plant, but if Bloomsburg is too close (especially the Central Columbia school district), we may have to rethink our choice. Any info is appreciated!

From personal experience I lived 50 miles from a nuclear power plant that always had trouble with leaks, etc. There is a correlation with a high cancer rate. I would reconsider......

[ki0eh]

10 out of 10 polar bears like nukes.

[88keys]

Thanks everyone for your input! And thanks for the link to google maps - it helps to see exactly where it is. One thing I learned in talking about this with a friend is that we used to live 20 miles from a reactor when our kids were tiny, and I didn't even know it!

[thecoalman]

Originally Posted by 88keys

I've done a little research on nuclear reactors and childhood cancer rates, and it looks like the rates are definitely increased for children living within 5 km of the plant.

I'm highly skeptical of anything that claims that, be careful where you're getting the source material from. Radioactive levels from any nuclear site is closely monitored. Typically any "emergency" at any of these plants is much lower than exposure than you would get from other sources such as the sun.

Even sources of information that should be unbiased can be quite the opposite. Take this article for example:

Coal Ash Is More Radioactive than Nuclear Waste: Scientific American

Sounds ominous? Read the whole article specifically the addendum at the end added a year after it's publication:

As a general clarification, ounce for ounce, coal ash released from a power plant delivers more radiation than nuclear waste shielded via water or dry cask storage.

Under these circumstances the article title could have been "Dirt more radioactive than Nuclear Waste".


Here's a graph from the USGS. The ground beneath your feet is the biggest concern you should have.



Coal FYI falls under "Other".

Radioactive Elements in Coal and Fly Ash, USGS Factsheet 163-97